Engine-frame



P. 1. MjsuLuvAN.

ENGINE FRAME. I

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1919'.

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m L a D1 INVENTOR Pair/'cfJA/anahanulI/an j BY ATTORNEY P. l. M. SULLIVAN.

ENGINE FRAME.

APPLICAUON FILED MAY 2, 1919.

Patented J une .28, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

lNvENToR Paricir Mona/1an Sullivan WMM ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATRICK J. MONAI-IAN SULL-IVAN, OF WOODCLIFFE-ON-HUDSON, NEW JERSEY PATENT OFFICE.

ASSIG-NOR TO YIVIONAHAN ROTARY ENGINE CORPORATION, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

ENGINE-FRAME.

Application filed-May 2, 1919.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK J. MONAHAN SULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of W'oodcliffe-on-Hudson, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Frames, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention is a frame or support for engines, pumps, compressors, or other piston and cylinder constructions acting on or by a fluid. One of the main features of my invention is a two-part construction of a frame, one part being a stationary base or support, and the other a carrier for the cylinder, piston, and crank shaft, the two parts being so connected that they are relatively rotatable about the axis of the crank shaft, whereby the axis of the cylinder may beadjustedto extend at any desired angle to the horizontal without interfering with the operation or running of the engine.

The invention is particularly useful with engines or the like having opposed rigidly connected cylinders in one or more pairs supported intermediate of the opposite ends of the pair. By means of my improved form of support, the cylinder axis may normally extend either horizontally, vertically, or at any intermediate angle and with either of the two cylinders of the pair uppermost. The cylinders may thus be mounted to run with their axes in any desired direction or any portion of either cylinder of the pair may be brought uppermost for purposes of inspection, repair, or test.

I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention designed particularly for use with an engine of the Monahan type, such for instance, as illustrated in my Patents 1,274,811, 1,274,812, 1,274,813, issued August 6, 1918, and 1,287,509 and 1,287,510 issued December 10,1918. In an engine of this type, the cylinder while in operation is bodily movable along a circular path but maintains its axis at all times in parallelism with an initial position, and the piston is also bodily movable in the opposite direction along a circular path to effect the relative reciprocatory movements of the piston and cylinder.

In certain preferred embodiments illusl trated in some of the patents above referred to, a double-ended cylinder is bodily carried by the cranks of two parallel crank shafts Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 28, 1921.

Serial No. 294,264.

rotatable in the same direction while the piston is connected to a crank of the same throw on a third crank shaft rotatable in the opposite direction.

In the specific form of frame or support hereinafter described and embodying my present invention, bearings are provided for the piston crank shaft but the rotatable part of the frame, instead of being rigidly sein using the frame with an ordinary engine, presents bearings for the crank shafts which support the cylinder of the Monahan type.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of my invention, certain parts being removed and others broken away, and portions of the three crank shafts of an engine of the Monahan type being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is an end view, the engine being shown rather diametrically in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is an end view of an intermediate transverse member of the frame shown in the center of Fig. 1, and

Fig. l1 is a plan view of an upper section of the stationary part of the frame.

My improved frame is made upV essentially of tivo main parts, one of whichis stationary and the other of which serves as a carrier for the engine and permits the bodily movement ofthe latter when desired about the main crank shaft as an axis.

The stationary part of the frame is illustrated as being made up of two end frame sections rigidly connected by longitudinally extending members, such for instance, as angle irons 10. Each end frame section has a large circular aperture therein and is conveniently made up of a base half 11, and an upper half 12. These may be rigidly secured together in any suitable manner, as

is illustrated as being made up also of end.

`cured to thecylinders as would be the case i "frame member while the axes of the two ed, it is preferable to provide additional supbearings 19-19 are in the same diameter'. The two end frame members may be connected by any suitableV longitudinal extending elements, such for instance, as tubes 20 rigidly clamped to the circular end frames by the same bolts 21 which connect together the two halves 15 and 16 of the circular end frames.

The length of the frame may be varied, of i course, depending upon the number of pairs of cylinders which are to be supported on the same crank shafts. Where a plurality of such pairs of cylinders are to be supportports for the crank shafts intermediate of the. end circular frames. Any desired number of these shaft supports may be provided, one being shown in the center of Fig. 1, and in Fig. 3. Each of these transverse supports includes a transverse braceor beam 22 so constructed at its ends as to facilitate clamping tothe tubes 20, such means being illustrated as bolts 23 extending diametrically across the tubes. Intermediate of its ends, the member 22 has a central bearing 24 and a pair of opposed bearings 25-25 for the three shafts.

I have shown certain details of construction regarding the bearings for the shafts and the means for lubricating said bearings but these parts may be of standard construction and constitute no material part of the present invention.

vIt will, of course, be understood that during the normal operation of the engine the circular frame members made up of the parts 15, 16, and 17 are lheld rigid and prevented from rotating within their annular supporting guides. Any suitable locking means may be provided for preventing suchl rotation. In practice, the parts `may be so proportioned that the tightening of the bolts 13 will contract the annular guide to a -sufiicient extent to bind and positively clamp the circular frame from rotating. When it is desired to rotate the frame, to bring any l'other part of the engine uppermost, it is merely necessary to loosen the bolts 18. The

power is taken from the engine by suitable couplings or connectionV to the central or main crank shaftfwhich is co-axial with the annularguides, so that when it is desired to turn the engine over and bring the axis horizontal or in any other desired angle to the perpendicular, it is not necessary to detach or uncouple the engine from .the mechanism driven thereby. The two.I side crank shafts which are supported in the bearings 19-19, and 25-25 ordinarily do not project beyond the members 17 or at least do not project more than sufficientl to4 carry the gears, meshing with the gear on the central shaft and by which the simultaneous rotation of the shafts is insured. l

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A supporting frame for engines, including a frame member having a crank shaft bearing and connections to the engine cylinder, and means for supporting said frame member to permit of its free and complete rotation about the axis of the crank shaft.

2. A frame or support for engines, includ-` ing a pair of rigidly connectedy annular end frame members, a pair of inner circular rigidly connected frame members rotatable therein, said last mentionedy frame members having centrally disposed crank shaft bearings, and means for connecting the engine cylinder thereto.

3. A frame or support for engines, including a pair of annular end frame members, means forV rigidly connecting them, circular frame members rotatably supported by said first mentioned frame members, and each having a centrally disposed crank shaft bearing, and means for supporting an engine cylinder from said second mentioned frame members.

4. A frame or support for engines, includ` ing a pair of annular end frame members, means for rigidly connecting them, circular frame members rotatably supported by said first mentioned frame members, and each having a centrally disposed crank shaft bearing, means for supporting an engine cylinder from said second mentioned frame members, and said engine cylinder andsecond mentioned frame members being rotatable in respect to said first mentioned frame members about the axis of the crank shaft as a center.

5. A frame or support for engines of the Monahan type, including a pair of frame members each having bearings for three parallel shafts along the diameter thereof, the

.center ofsaid bearings being co-axial with ing a pair of circularframe members veachV having a row of three crank shaft bearings, the center bearing being co-axial vwith the frame members, means forl rigidly connecting saidframe members, and a'pair of annular supporting guides for said frame members and permitting of their rotation about the axis of the center shaft.

7. A frame or support for engines, including a pair of circular frame members each having a row of three crank shaft bearings, the center bearing being co-axial with the frame members, means for rigidly connecting said frame members, a pair of annular supporting guides for said frame members and permitting of their rotation about the axis o the center shaft, and means for normally preventing said rotation.

8. A frame or support for engines, including a pair of circular frame members each formed of two semi-circular parts and a diametrically extending part rigidly connected,

said diametrically extending parts each having bearings for three spaced parallel shafts, and a pair of annular guides for supporting said frame members.

9. A frame or support for engines, including a plurality of spaced frame members each having bearings for three spaced parallel shafts, means for rigidly connecting said Jframe members together, and means for supporting the end frame members and permitting. their rotation about the axis of one of the shaft bearings in the center.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York, and State of New York this 25 day of April, A. D. 1919.

PATRICK J. MONAHAN SULLIVAN. 

